…Everything seems right.

George Washington ‘week’; Part three

Ah, at last. The final instalment of the George Washington week, almost two months after I started the damn thing.

After getting a little giddy and excited with regards to the concept of coming up with three different drinks to celebrate the event in American history that was George Washington – one on rum (that was a little cheated), one on rye and one on applejack – an awesome bout of wisdom tooth pain on opposite sides of my mouth that were separated by only a day dominated most of the month of March, coupled with moving house. Meaning that for the first time since this log started, there was a month without an entry.

Still, never mind.

The idea behind this drink is linked to Applejack, yet another spirit that George had close to his heart. Applejack itself goes back to the late 1600s, when those hardent drinkers of the early days of American colonialism would ferment cider and then leave it outside in freezing whether conditions to concentrate the booze from the water. Enter William Laird, a Scotsman who brought with him the art of distilling after settling in Monmouth County. In 1698 he started producing an apple brandy instead of that horrid hard cider freeze separation stuff they called ‘jersey lightening’, and aged his stuff in oak casks.

Applejack’s role in the liquid history of the USA is well documented too; William’s great-grandson Robert Laird served in the revolutionary army under George Washington, while the Laird distillery itself became the first in American history to be granted a commercial license in 1780. Add to the fact that George Washington himself was given a recipe for ‘cyder spirits’ before 1760, and the rest is pretty much history (no pun intended).

While the modern day applejack is a little further away from the stuff kicking about 300 years ago – today’s version is a blend of three to four year-old apple brandies (35%) and neutral grain spirit (65%) – Laird’s also produce a bottled-in-bond apple brandy, a seven-and-a-half-year apple randy, and an even rarer and expensive 12 year old brandy, the latter of which is considered to belong within the same realms of fine cognac or a single malt whisky. For mixing purposes, the bottled-in-bond stuff is definitely what you’re after.

However, that’s enough about applejack. Here’s a drink.

American Trilogy

30ml Rye whisky (Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond preferably)

30ml Apple brandy (Laird’s Bottled-in-Bond if preferably)

1 Sugar Cube

2 – 3 dashes of orange bitters

Dash of soda/water (optional)

Add sugar, bitters and water to a rocks glass. Muddle sugar cube until dissolved. Add other ingredients, and add ice. Stir until all the flavours have married. Garnish with an orange twist and serve.

Photography by Dan Bartley

The drink is a twist on the Old Fashioned, and its maker Micky McIlroy of New York’s Milk & Honey states that each of the three ingredients were common ingredients used in American cocktail making in the mid-1800s through to early the 1900s. And, even though I’ve never had the pleasure of being served the drink by McIlroy, fellow Bramble colleague and Elvis-lookalike Paul Graham has, and made me one the other night when I was pretty spangled.

When both Rittenhouse Bonded and Laird’s Bonded are used, the drink is a hefty, spicey powerhouse of a drink. Definitely one to put hairs on your chest, the drink becomes a softer and more approachable when used with normal Applejack and Rittenhouse 80 proof. As for the bitters, Regan’s No. 6 are made for this drink. And I know which version I prefer.

Before I sign this post off, find out here and here where my attention as been diverted to over the last two months and why there has been no post on here for a while. Something pretty exciting will be coming to the Bramble cocktail menu very soon.

Finally, just a thanks to Paul Graham specifically for bring this drink to my attention. Cheers.